It's
a brave act to publish a book that will inevitably be compared with
Angela's Ashes in the same season as Frank McCourt's eagerly awaited
sequel, 'Tis. Yet Watkins's demurely titled, rollicking memoir of his
boyhood in postwar Ireland and England can bear the comparison, and it
deserves to be read for its own brilliance, rhythm and structure.
Laugh-out-loud funny, with an eccentric cast of characters (including a
"spheraphobic" uncle who wouldn't eat anything round), Watkins's
embellished childhood tales make for pure reading pleasure. Language
lovers will be charmed by his expressions ("a great feast of a woman")
and the glossary of such exotic terms as doolally (to get mad at
someone) and Adam and Eve it (believe it). Born in 1950 in Limerick,
where, according to his mother, "you can't spit without hitting a piece
of history," Watkins inherited the bardic and musical talents of his
parents. Mam was gregarious, beautiful and staunchly Irish and
Catholic, always ready with a ballad. His Welsh father was raised in
Britain and grew up to be an agnostic and freethinker given to drinking
and good-natured fighting. The family lived happily in various places:
a caravan (trailer), public housing and with his father's family in
Birmingham, England. Covering the first 17 years of his life, this
first installment in a projected trilogy is a fine coming-of-age story,
woven from tales of Watkins's family, school days and boyish
adventures, as well as of Catholicism, ghosts and his rambles as a
teenage musician. Though it is laced with deprivation and pathos
(including the loss of two babies), Watkins's story isn't permeated
with the sadness of McCourt's work, though it's equally memorable.
-Publishers Weekly

Bill
Watkins should receive credit for re-associating the words "humorous,"
"thoughtful," and "educational" with the term "Irish memoir."
-Missoula Independent, September 16-23, 1999Read the entire article

This book represents another variation on the currently popular theme of Irish childhood memoirs. Unlike the troubling
Angela's Ashes,
most of this memoir consists of happy childhood tales. The book begins
in 1955, when a five-year-old Watkins moves with his parents (his
mother is Irish, his father, Welsh) to England. Readers then journey
with Watkins through his childhood in the British Isles. The book is
filled with entertaining anecdotes and information about Celtic history
and language--readers learn about Celtic euphemisms, curses, blessings,
and songs. (There's even a complete glossary of vocabulary and lyrics.)
It should be noted, however, that Watkins fails to cite any historical
or scholarly references; the stories that populate this book appear to
have been handed down orally through Watkins's family. Recommended for
larger libraries serving patrons interested in modern Celtic
themes.--Angela M. Weiler, SUNY Libs., Morrisville Copyright 1999
Cahners Business Information.
-Library Journal

Amazon.com readers gave the book an overall 5-star
rating. Here are a few of their commments:

Irish Wit and Charm at it's Best!, December 20, 1999
Reviewer: Louise Duncan from Minnesota
Bill Watkins book is a charismatic blend of personal history, Celtic
spirituality, and humor. While it resonates with the almost mythical
beauty (and hardships) of growing up in post-war Ireland, it avoids the
mistake of becoming maudlin. Watkins coming-of-age tales are lessons
for us all in the "joy of life." It's use of Gaelic history provides a
strong base for a brilliant book. What a good read!

A "couldn't put it down" Book!, April 20, 2000
Reviewer: Wendy from New Jersey
Bill Watkins' humorous and fascinating memories of his childhood in
Ireland and England make this one of those books that you just can't
seem to stop reading. I kept telling myself, "Just ONE more chapter,
then I'll put it down and go to sleep." Even the hard times are told
with wit and good humor and with a real love for the people,
surroundings, and music that influenced him so much. Am looking forward
eagerly to the next one!

A book that will resurrect the spirit of impish youth, November 23, 1999
Reviewer: Donal McQuat from Dublin, Ireland
I was first recommended this book by a friend. Having already read
Frank McCourt's 'Angela's Ashes' I was wary of what I assumed to be
something of a similar subject matter. However I was pleasantly
surprised. Rather than attempting to invoke a feeling of guilty
depression upon the reader, Watkins book celebrates both the joys of
growing up (many of us share the memory of a childhood that was poor
AND happy) and the tenacious nature of the Celtic spirit without falling
into the repetitive downward spiraling plot of AA. The overall mood is
a positive one that involves the reader through rich descriptions and
even a glossary to help with the cosmopolitan use of language. It is
certainly a book that you can go back to and as a good book of this
type should do, it leads the reader to fresh ground. I found myself
wanting to know more of the historical and mythical characters alluded
to in the text. If this is to be the first work of a trilogy I can only
hope the best is yet to come!